Deccan Chronicle 30.01.2014
Jail for water thieves
Hyderabad: Those with illegal water connections can be imprisoned for up to five years. Six cases have been booked and at least three people have been arrested in the last two months for possessing illegal water connection at their residences.
Tenants too need to be careful while taking houses on rent. As per the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board Act, cases will be booked against the house owner, and if the house owner does not stay on the premises, criminal cases will be booked against the occupants whomsoever it may be, including tenants.
Revant, the tenant of a house in Yadav Nagar at Alkapuri of LB nagar was arrested in December, after it was revealed during an inspection that a disconnected water pipeline was re-connected without permission from the Board.
The owner of the house Purushotham Reddy stays abroad and was shown as absconding in the police report.
“Ask for the latest water bill and Consumer Account Number stating you want to submit your mobile number to the Water Board officials for SMS alert on bills. Every connection has been given a CAN. If there is no CAN, then it’s an illegal connection,” said an official.
Sreedhar, a resident of Manikyanagar in Qutbullapur, was remanded to 14-day judicial custody recently for illegal water line.
Water Board has also started booking criminal cases against those having second connections.
“A second water connection is not allowed. They have to be surrendered. We (Board) will upgrade the existing water line from half inch to one inch depending on the feasibility and number of families staying in the building,” said Board director (revenue) P.S. Suryanarayana.
The Water Board supplies 340 MGD water in the city but gets paid for only 210 MGD. About 40 per cent water is unaccounted for.
Earlier, over 50 per cent water was unaccounted for but measures initiated by present MD J. Syamala Rao has brought down the UFW.
For years, illegal connections, second connections and unmetered connections have been eating into the revenues of the Board.
In another case, a criminal case was booked against one S. Reddy when Board officials noticed that he was illegally drawing drinking water from the water supply pipeline.
Suryanarayana said that those with illegal water connections could be booked for prosecution under Sections 52, read with Section-49 (1) (b) (c), of the HMWS&SB Act, 1989, and also Section-3 (2) (a) of the Prevention of Damages to Public Property Act, 1984 and Section 430 and 379 of the IPC.
The Board can also attach the properties of defaulters under the Revenue Recovery Act.
“Under these sections, the imprisonment can be up to five years,” he added.
The Board can also attach the properties of defaulters under the Revenue Recovery Act.
A “red notice” is issued to the defaulter stating it is the final notice and he or she will have to pay the bill along with arrears.
On non-payment of the bill, Form-I is issued stating that officials will come for attach the property and seven days is given to the consumer to pay up.
If the consumer still does not pay, Form-II is issued by officials for attaching the property. Almost 4,000 red notices have been issued till date.
